Something Broken
by interdimensionalmeatpie
Summary: Jaune smashed his Scroll against the ground that fateful night, letting it shatter against the broken pavement. What refused to break may return to haunt him in the cold days ahead, however. Idea credit to art by 2013ann on Tumblr, which is used as cover art.


_I go a long while without writing anything and I return all of a sudden with some angst for everyone. That's fine, I've already plonked myself down in the naughty corner to atone for my sins._

 _I saw a fanart by 2013ann on Tumblr so I had the idea to bring up a fic around it. They did a great job on the art (which is the cover image of this fic) and they deserve some love. I do not own that picture; it is the artwork and intellectual property of 2013ann, and all credit belongs to them._

 _Speaking of love, I think Arkos needs some love, what with the traumatic conga line they ended up dealing with…_

 _As usual, thanks, Monty._

 _And happy birthday. We'll keep moving forward and creating, just like you do._

* * *

Despite the cold, Jaune still plodded on through the snow, his tattered backpack and meager sweatshirt the only protection from the iron-gray flakes that sifted softly down like ash.

Winter had come to Patch, bringing with it the bite of the wind from the north-west and a flood of refugees streaming in from whatever remained of Vale. Jaune had fled the area with his family, giving them the slip at the ferry. He would be missed, surely, but when he had a job to do...

In the distance Jaune could make out the peak of a roof, shrouded in mist, and a dot of red, growing bigger and clearer through the snow, resolving slowly into the lithe figure of Ruby Rose.

"Hey, Jaune..."

She gazed at the ground, her shoulders slumped and subdued, a common look in the many dead-eyed survivors of what he had heard some people call "the Cataclysm."

But this, this was a disturbing contrast to the girl that had gleefully vaulted several tables in the dining hall in pursuit of a cookie.

Now Ruby had simply pointed towards the ground behind him, stepping over and retrieving something from the ground and handing it to him in a monotone voice.

"Jaune, I think this fell out of your bag. It's pretty ripped up, y'know…"

And indeed, in Ruby's extended hand was a warped white rectangle of plastic, damp with snow and twisted with force, but intact for the most part.

He took his Scroll blankly, his fingers playing over the warped plastic, the cracked glass, the rough bent edges as he silently nodded his thanks to Ruby.

Jaune had thrown it, smashed it against the ground in anguish at his friend had faced her death at the top of the tower-

Friend?

More than friend?

He turned the device in his hand, tapping the on button and watching the display flicker to life, revealing a backdrop of their team smiling away on a bright sunny day at the festival.

It was a miracle the thing worked at all, really; static fuzzed the edges and the banner at the top read "No Service;" a silent testament to the fall of Beacon and the CCT. In its current state, the Scroll served no more purpose than a mere toy.

It didn't stop him from flipping through the apps idly, opening and closed them while the glazed eyes of his friends stared back, frozen in time. To his surprise, there was a pip marking an unread message, dated a month ago, on the day where Pyrrha had stood to duel her next adversary.

"New video message from: Pyrrha Nikos: 7:43 PM."

Odd, that he hadn't seen that before, but when one had more pressing matters on their mind…

He pressed play, watching the screen zoom in on a frozen image of Pyrrha, which slowly began to move amidst a gentle snow of static and cracks.

She had lost the battle with her emotions, as her emerald eyes sparkled with moisture, uncharacteristically puffy and red under the makeup she had applied to save face and the damage done to the Scroll.

"Jaune," she began, her gaze falling to the floor. "I… I- Jaune…"

Pyrrha's breath stuck in her throat as she looked up mournfully at her own Scroll, hesitating, struggling to find her words.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Jaune..."

The tears began to flow, one by one, as she pushed ahead, her words flowing as freely as the water from her eyes now.

"I-I haven't been fair to you, I should have just listened and stayed, I shouldn't have... Shouldn't have hurt you like that..."

"Jaune, you're... You're a wonderful friend, and you mean so very much to me... And- I-I... I appreciate everything, everything you help me with, and I... I think..."

Pyrrha sighed, bowing her head, before looking up again, bringing with her a small glimmer of hope brimming in her eyes.

"Jaune...when- when this is all over… Do… Do you want to maybe go for coffee? Just you and me-"

He hurled the Scroll with every last ounce of strength he possessed, sending it spiraling end over end into the snow.

* * *

 _Arkos was actually my first ship in RWBY; I watched soon after Season Two released, binged watched it, watch Jaune and Pyrrha develop as characters, watched the chemistry bloom, watched the whole ship sink to the bottom of the ocean..._

 _*shrieks, other assorted sounds of distress even however long it's been since Cinder did the ultimate naughty that is killing one half of the OTP*_

 _I do apologize for not keeping up with my stories, I've been busy with life biting me in the bum and writers block on top of it all, but I_ should _be back to releasing (semi) regularly sooner or later_

 _Thank you for reading, please rate and review :)_

Fingers crossed that Renora stays alive,

-Don


End file.
